If your filming a corporate video, then I might be right in assuming that if you’re putting someone who represents the company on camera, then they’re probably not a professional actor. Because of this, producing an engaging and quality content might not be so easy. From personal experience, I’ve found people can be a little shaky and nervous a lot of the time, and believe it or not that doesn’t look great on camera.

There are several very basic techniques that I can guarantee will help pull of a much more seamless interview…Remember these and before you know it you won’t have to follow them exactly, you can carry out an interview without following a set of fixed guidelines, but I’d recommend not straying too far from them. Can I draw your minds back to the Chris Stark and Mila Kunis interview I used in a previous post? As you might recall, the law of interviews told us it should have been bloody awful, but he pulled it off.

The one thing you have to remember is, whether they are a celebrity or a business representative, the exchange will not run go well if the subject does not feel comfortable around you. This video blog from Lambda Films, a Norfolk video production company, highlights some great ways to relax your interviewee, and how exactly to get the best out of your interview.

Believe it or not, one of the vital elements behind every good interview is simply what clothes your subject is wearing. Crazy, right? So how does that effect how relaxed someone it? I hear you ask. To be perfectly honest, it doesn’t. It will make your interview look better though, which is pretty key if you ask me – a stripy shirt can have a funny appearance when on camera, it sort of wiggles around, and the effect isn’t great.

If the subject appears nervous, then despite all your easing methods they still might fidget. It’s a good idea to get as tight a shot as possible so even if they are moving around a lot, it’s not really noticeable. Do everything you can to avoid this nervousness though, a casual conversation before the interview starts can make all the difference.

Something you should also consider it letting your subject sit where they like. You are the professional and you do know what is best, and I’m sure you’ll have a shot you’d like in mind. But you should try as much as possible to mould your should around the comfort of your subject – in the end, that’s the most vital aspect of the interview.

Once you’ve arranged your shot and everyone is lolling and joking and having a great time, using light and some light makeup will make the shot look significantly better. Dim lighting and shiny subject is a horrible combination. This would be a nasty result to all of your hard interview work. Good lighting is crucial, especially where closeups are concerned – nothing escapes the penetrating eye of a closeup.

What can’t be taken too lightly is the simple tactic of making your subject comfortable, it will make or break any interview. An awkward interviewee results in an awkward interview which will make awkward viewing. It’s vital you remember that.